Starship Enterprise

[rowport]

Originally Posted by Vigilance
but I fear this movie will get drowned by nerds

I don't know what this means.

I do know what he means-- Trek fans so obsessed with changes in small details that the overall quality of the movie gets obscured with the vitriol. But, I think that is the risk that Abrams created by his "reimagining" the universe. He could have gone after a totally new cast/story set in Trek continuity, but instead chose to rewrite the past. If that offends fans of the original, he brought it on himself.

I think the movie looks great (other than the nitpick that the crew looks too young overall). I think it will do well with the average guy who likes action movies. But it might not go over well with real Trekkers, and that is the risk Abrams chose to take.

 

[Mark]

Trekkers will complain about something no matter what hits the screens so the concern always has to be about what will draw in a new audience and please the majority of movie goers. Some people will buy Rutles albums just to burn them.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Originally Posted by Vigilance
but I fear this movie will get drowned by nerds

I do know what he means-- Trek fans so obsessed with changes in small details that the overall quality of the movie gets obscured with the vitriol. But, I think that is the risk that Abrams created by his "reimagining" the universe. He could have gone after a totally new cast/story set in Trek continuity, but instead chose to rewrite the past. If that offends fans of the original, he brought it on himself.

I think the movie looks great (other than the nitpick that the crew looks too young overall). I think it will do well with the average guy who likes action movies. But it might not go over well with real Trekkers, and that is the risk Abrams chose to take.

It's a risk he chose to take, I agree. I also think people worry to much.
I am not sure if I can call myself a Trekkie or Trekker or Tractor or whatever (I just read a lot of Startrek books, watched the shows, got space ship models, but I never costumed myself as a Klingon, Romulan, Vulcan or Starfleet officer, nor did I ever visit a Con), but I think some updates, changes to the continuity, heck maybe even a fully fledged reimagination of Startrek are good for it.

Startrek is a great franchise. The messages and ideals it portrayed are worthy of portrayal, and I think particular TNG influenced my view on moral and ethics. But I also think that "technically", it has its flaws. It is riddled with continuity holes and inconsistencies. There have been a lot of stories that have either been told badly or are bad on their own. (Voyager and Enterprise where particularly rife from it).
Fixing this by whatever means necessary is acceptable and even commendable.

I'd love an entirely new Startrek Show, set after DS9 and Voyager, preferably with a new Enterprise exploring new borders (other Galaxies might be interesting, maybe with an Enterprise full of previously hostile species - Humans, Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, Ferengi), but i'd also love to go back to old places and revisit old characters, and change a few things to make them work better as a whole. "Fix" the timeline inconsistencies, and maybe change entire storylines to make them work better (My pet project Voyager for example would benefit a lot if they emphasized the "lost in space" and "limited resources" aspects stronger - they don't have to go all dark like BSG, but they should show the real struggles of maintaining the Federation ideals - or failing at them. Restore the threat of the Borg.*)


*) I'd love to combine these aspect. Imagine the Voyager entering a region of space with various aliens, some of them hostile to each other, others in uneasy alliances, some in an outright war. And then, a Borg Cube threatens them - can the Voyager establish the threat of the Borg? Will they manage to create an alliance of these races, even if they face severe failures? Will Janeway use "shortcuts" that hurt in the long run but will help against the Borg? Will they create a second Federation, or just a dark mockery of it? And how does Janeway and her crew react to faiilures and losses, entire planets destroyed or assimilated by the Borg while they are watching?)

 

[Mouseferatu]

Here's my problem, such as it is.

If JJ was really reimagining the franchise, rebooting it like Batman Begins or Casino Royale, I'd have zero issues with continuity. None. And I wish that's what he was doing.

But he's not. This movie is connected to prior canon.

[sblock]Leonard Nimoy-Spock comes back in time to warn Zachary Quinto-Spock of some sort of danger that's come back from the future to do nasty things to Federation history.

So that leaves open the question of "How much can/should change, and how much can/should remain the same?"

Me? I'd rather they have foregone this entirely, and just called the damn thing a complete reboot. Especially since I'm so damn sick of time travel in the series; they should be calling it "Time Trek" at this point.[/sblock]

Now, as I said before, this isn't really a big deal for me. The continuity issues will nag at a small portion of my brain, and the rest of my brain will tell that portion to shut up and watch the movie. And when it's over and done, I'll judge the movie on its own merits, not on whether Kirk should've been able to drive a stick shift.

But the whole thing could've been avoided, and I think it would've made for a better premise if it had.

 

[Arnwyn]

I do know what he means-- Trek fans so obsessed with changes in small details that the overall quality of the movie gets obscured with the vitriol.

If that is what he means, then I don't know what he's talking about. If there are truly enough nerds that end up "drowning" (whatever that means) or "obscuring" the movie, then apparently JJ targeted the wrong audience and made the wrong decision when botching up the continuity.

If that doesn't happen, then no worries - he made the right decision to not be so anal about the continuity.

 

[Knightfall]

Apple - Trailers - Star Trek - Trailer 2 - Large

 

[Kaodi]

There are quite a few things about that trailer that I was not too too big on, but they were nothing to get riled up about, except for one thing: What *really* bugged me what the presentation of Uhura and (while I may have been mis-seeing things) the notion that she was getting it on with one of the other crew members that we all know. Maybe I am also misremembering, but I do not seem to recall anything like that, and if they are just adding it in out of the blue I think it is doing a great injustice to the character (and perhaps the original actress), given her historical significance.

 

[stonegod]

There are quite a few things about that trailer that I was not too too big on, but they were nothing to get riled up about, except for one thing: What *really* bugged me what the presentation of Uhura and (while I may have been mis-seeing things) the notion that she was getting it on with one of the other crew members that we all know. Maybe I am also misremembering, but I do not seem to recall anything like that, and if they are just adding it in out of the blue I think it is doing a great injustice to the character (and perhaps the original actress), given her historical significance.

Its seriously implied, but a still of the "intimate" scene shows that the brassiere of Kirk's partner does not match that of Uhura. Of course, why should Uhura's scene even be in there...?

 

[horacethegrey]

Some choice shots from the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Kirk (Chris Pine) looking on as the Enterprise is being built. (A little nitpick here. I'm no science buff, but isn't building a ship that size on the Earth's surface a big nono?



Spocks parents, Amanda Grayson and Sarek. Played by Winona Ryder and Ben Cross.

The all new Transporter effect. Am undecided whether it's better or worse than the original.

A good shot Kirk and Spock along with the rest of the bridge.

The new Warp Speed effect.

Another shot of the PowerMac sto- er, I mean, bridge of the Enterprise.

Kirk and Uhura running through the PowerMa- er, decks of the Enterprise.

Bruce Greenwood as Captain Christopher Pike

A city on the Planet Vulcan.

Simon Pegg as Scotty.

Eric Bana as Nero.

A great shot Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard Mccoy.

An unidentified alien monstrosity.

Zoe Saldana as Uhura.

Now as to my impressions to the trailer. I liked it! It's not exactly the Star Trek of old. What with the increased emphasis on action and all. But I'm willing to reserve judgment after all the cool imagery they've bombarded us with. As to the gripes w/ the whole Kirk in a car thing, I could live with it (particularly because I've never seen the episode in question ).

A bit surprised though that Chris Pine's Kirk is featured heavily in the trailer, while Zach Quinto's Spock is not by much. You'll all recall that Quinto's casting as Spock got all the hype during the early stages of the film's production.

Can't wait for 2009!

 

[garyh]

I noticed a female crewmember in science blue wearing pants and long sleeves, which I approve of.

I mean, I approve of the skirts, too, don't get me wrong. But I appreciate the more modern approach of including the more practical uniform for female crew.

Now, if we see the TNG season 1 male skort, that... well, I'd support that equality in principle as well. In principle.